NPR News: 03-06-2026 6AM EST

0:00Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Kurova Coleman, the U.S. and Israeli militaries are continuing to attack sides in Iran. Israel is pushing deeper into Lebanon, and it's now striking the suburbs and the Lebanese capital Beirut. Iran is attacking Israel, but NPR's Aya Batrawi reports Iran is also firing on several other countries in the Persian Gulf region. We're seeing these attacks on these countries because they host U.S. troops and because they host U.S. forces that are actively now at war with Iran and have made very clear from the assassination of Hamani that this is about regime change. This is not about diplomacy or trying to bring Iran back to the negotiating table when you take out its supreme leader. This is about regime change in fomenting the kind of chaos that really is going to ricochet across the region as we're seeing. And PR's Aya Batrawi reporting, shipping traffic remains stalled in the street of Hormuz. The narrow waterway controlled by Iran and 20 percent of the world's crude oil goes

1:00through there as well as critical amounts of natural gas. Countries such as Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates could be forced to reduce or even stop their oil output. Qatar has already halted all its shipments of natural gas. Asian and European nations badly need these energy supplies. President Trump has promised the U.S. will escort ships in the region, but that hasn't yet happened. The House has blocked a measure to limit President Trump's war powers in Iran. It comes after the Senate rejected a similar resolution on Wednesday. And PR's Claudia Grasalos reports. House Speaker Mike Johnson said blocking further operations in Iran now would have been a quote dangerous gambit. It would have been a very serious misstep by Congress and I'm grateful that that resolution failed. Both GOP led chambers blocked the bill largely along party lines. In the House, Kentucky Republican Thomas Massey and California Democrat Rokana teamed up again to force the vote. Only one other Republican, Ohio Congressman Warren Davidson, joined Massey to advance the

2:02resolution. Democrats saw four defections, including mains jared golden and Henry Quayar of Texas who cited with the GOP. Claudia D. Salis and PR News, the Capitol. President Trump says he will name Oklahoma Senator Mark Wayne Mullin to run the Department of Homeland Security, Trump fired D.H.S. leader Kristi Nome yesterday. Minnesota Public Radio Shonda Colvin reports on reaction from officials in that state. Secretary Nome has been under criticism from state leaders over some of the tactics used during the federal surge in Minnesota and especially after the killing of too many apolis protesters, Renee McLean Good and Alex Prattie, Governor Tim Walls posted to social media stating that it's quote, good she's gone. Senator Tina Smith said she welcomes the news, but that it won't bring back McLean Good and Prattie. For NPR News, I'm Chandra Colvin in St. Paul. It's NPR. A federal panel has delayed a vote on President Trump's new ballroom at the White House until

3:05April. The president tore down the east wing for this, but there have been about 35,000 public comments submitted about the construction, and they're almost all negative. One comment said, quote, the size and design of the proposed White House ballroom are hideous. The panel heard testimony from 31 people yesterday about the proposed ballroom, and all but one opposed it. The state department says it is reestablishing diplomatic relations with Venezuela's interim authorities. The embassy was closed seven years ago, and Piers-Michel Kaleman reports. After the Trump administration ousted Nicolas Maduro in a military operation earlier this year, the state department has been working to reestablish a diplomatic presence there. Now it said it's agreed with Venezuela's interim authorities to reestablish diplomatic and consular relations. The state department calls this a step to promote stability and support economic recovery in Venezuela. At the White House president Trump said the interim leader, Delsey Rodriguez, has been

4:07doing a, quote, fantastic job working with his administration. He also praised Secretary of State Marker Rubio and said his next job will be Cuba. Michelle Kaleman and PR News, the state department. Officials in Cuba say power is slowly returning to western parts of the island that were knocked offline this week. Cuba's power grid is fragile, and now the Trump administration is blocking fuel shipments to that country. Encore of a Coleman, NPR News in Washington.